My girlfriend ('81 380SL 107) and my ex-wife ('86 500SL 107) have both with my assistance recently invested in what, after the Pagoda and until someone gives me a 300SL roadster in cream with dark red leather are my dream cars. Some of their friends and family have given them a hard time about their choice of "impractical fuel guzzlers". It isn't about performance, economy or practicality it is really about the magic that MB sprinkled into these cars on the production line along with the poise, elegance and glamour all redolent of better times than these of integrated plastic bumpers, almost absolute reliability (thus destroying the adventure of "motoring") and elephant hide plastic dash boards.
Early SL's are simply magical to me and I am confident that others reading will understand what I find hard to put into words here. Roof off, tree lined lanes, dappled sunlight, warm breeze and a huge smile...
'THIS IS MY SL, THERE WERE ONCE MANY LIKE IT BUT THIS ONE IS MINE. MY SL MAKES ME HAPPY. WITHOUT ME MY SL WOULD BE NEGLECTED, WITHOUT MY SL I AM LESS HAPPY. THERE WERE ONCE MANY LIKE IT BUT THIS ONE IS MINE..."With a nod to "Full Metal Jacket" of course.
PS The 500SL returned 28 mpg on the trip from Newark Notts to Northern Ireland via Scotland (about 450 miles) - I think that is truly remarkable for a 5 litre V8.
